The Death of River Song (Gallifrey-Trilogy)
by sevenofmine
Summary: Part II: After Theresa, a companion of the Doctor, found out that she was a genetically engineered Timelord and helped The Doctor and River rescuing all of time and space (again), she cannot live with some of the knowledge she gains as a time traveller: the death of a beloved friend. She decides to change the past...or has it always been this way? Sequel to 'The Rise of Gallifrey'
1. Summary of Part I

**Summary: The Rise of Gallifrey _(First part of the Gallifrey-Trilogy)_**

**If you have not read the first part, I recommend you to read this summary first. If you want me to delete this chapter, please notify me and I will do so.  
**

During the darkest hours of the Time War, the Timelords did not back away from the most dangerous weapons anymore. Scientists were dedicated to explore the world of genetic engineering and combined the power of the heart of the TARDIS with a Timelord-being.

With the help of The Master's DNA, The Creator could create two genetically enhanced Timelords, called The Soldier and The Warrior.

The Time War proceeded and the Timelords recognised what monsters they created. Their new soldiers began to slaughter the enemy fleets and did not even care if Timelords had to be sacrificed for their decisions. The High Council of the Timelords called back the two soldiers and brought them to court where they should be punished for their war crimes.

The soldiers did not recognise their guilt as they had been created especially for war and the court decided that their punishment shall be eternal existence on the planet Earth where they would exist multiple times in time and space and be reborn over and over again...

* * *

Theresa Riddle was a young-recruited agent by the MI6 and on a long-time undercover mission as a criminal in San Francisco when she stumbled into an adventure with the Doctor. While travelling with him, she suddenly recognised his golden watch and opened her own one - and regained her memory: Theresa found out that her real name was The Soldier and that her regained power should bring back Gallifrey from the Time War.

All parallel consciousnesses of Theresa and her sister Valentina were activated, scattered among time and space. Together with The Doctor and River, Theresa travelled back to the Time War and they created a paradox big enough to be resolved by itself. When time was rewritten, only the two sisters and the couple could remember what happened.

Theresa lived in San Francisco with her girlfriend Katie who she told her true identity. Valentina of San Francisco began to travel through time and space on her own, while her sister decided to go with The Doctor for a while.

In the meanwhile, only few of the parallel-living incarnations of Theresa and Valentina remember who they are, among them Lieutenant Commander Riddle of the USS Enterprise in the 24th century. As all parallel Theresa's are telepathically linked, they can share thoughts, but do not necessarily have to.

Although Theresa from the Enterprise lives in the SF-Theresa's future, their times are parallel to each other.

**I hope you did not get too confused and please check out the first chapter.**


	2. Chapter 0 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 3

**I will probably upload a new chapter every three or four days. They are numbered in the order as they have to be read, but they are not in the right chronological order for the two main characters, Theresa and The Doctor, due to time travel. Please pay attention to what a character has already experienced and what he/she hasn't.**

**At the end, I will add a table including the right order of the chapters for The Doctor and Theresa and I will probably summarise them quickly. If you do have questions concerning the order of the chapter, just ask. Neither do I bite nor am I a Zygon in disguise.**

* * *

**_Chapter 0 – Chapter 7 from Theresa's point of view – Chapter 3 from The Doctor's point of view_**

It had been a long day with a double shift on the bridge for Lieutenant Commander Riddle when she entered the bar Ten Forward on the tenth deck of the Federation space ship USS Enterprise. She sat down at her usual place and looked around. It was crowded as always and she felt safe among the many people.

She had felt isolated for too long. After she had found out who she really was, a lot of things had happened to her. She had to testify in front of several courts of the United Federation of Planets, proving that she still felt being the same person as she had been before. But for her personally, things also changed. First she thought that the multiple 'Theresas' became one but then she figured out that only the telepathic relation had been lost. Now, she could mentally link to the other 'herself' who lived in a parallel time to her, but in different time and spaces throughout the universe.

"What can I do for you today?" asked Guinan, the barkeeper of Ten Forward. She was El Aurean, also hundreds of years old and could listen quite well. Theresa had told her about her feelings and her past and despite the fact that she was a cruel murderer of her own race, Guinan had listened and understood her.

Theresa had a look at the digital menu on the padd, an electronic reading device. "A Saurean Nectar, please," she said with a smile. She hated repetition and tried something new each time.

Guinan had just returned with a glass of steaming green liquor when all senior officers were called to the bridge. "I'm sorry," the Lieutenant Commander said and proceeded to deck 1. She met Counselor Troi in the turbolift and they exchanged quick looks. None of them knew what this was about.

On the bridge they were directed to the Lounge, the meeting room of the Senior officers, by the current officer in charge. The automatic doors opened and some officers already waited there. Troi and Riddle sat down without a word and waited until the Chief Engineer and the Second-in-Command appeared as well.

"As we're now all assembled, we can begin," Captain Jean-Luc Picard started to say. "An hour ago I received orders from Starfleet. Stellar cartography of Sector 047 can wait and the Excalibur will take over this mission. However, we shall change course and fly to Dorvan III and bring medical supplies. There has been an earthquake and the political structure of the capital is in danger."

"Isn't the Dorvan Sector inside Cardassian territory?" Commander Riker, the First Officer, asked skeptically. Since the end of the Dominion War, Cardassia was no longer an official enemy of the Federation, but they were no friends either.

"Yes, it is. But Cardassia reassured that no Federation ship will be harmed when it is flying on a direct course to this solar system. As Cardassia still suffers from the War and the plague, we have to help them. It might be an advantage to have a friend in the uprising Typhon Pact-Cold War."

"With all due respect, Sir. Even if we could regard the Cardassian Union as friends, their military support will be minimal. They do not even have a proper government anymore," Tactical Officer Lieutenant Worf answered.

"Even if they cannot help us as much as we wished, they will not help the enemy. Staying in good contact, despite the ongoing war preparations, we could use a new ally," Riddle proposed.

The Captain nodded. "That's what ambassador Garak also said. However, I told the helm to change course and Doctor Crusher, you will have to make sickbay ready. We will also deal with the political situation and establish a sub-government of the Cardassian Union. As the consequences to the earthquake are not widely known, I say we should prepare for the worst. Lieutenant Commander Riddle, you have had medical training. You will support Doctor Crusher. We will arrive in two hours at the Cardassian colony. Dismissed."

The officers left the Lounge and Doctor Crusher and Officer Riddle stepped into the turbolift. "I will have to call in some nurses from their free time," Crusher said when they walked down the corridor towards sickbay. "Can you help Nurse Ogawa prepare the biobeds and hyposprays so far?"

Riddle nodded and entered sickbay and spend the next two hours preparing for Cardassian colonists.

* * *

"We'll need an away team. There're too many people beamed up here," Crusher decided when she helped a young girl onto one of the beds and scanned her bleeding front head. "Riddle, Ogawa, McIntosh, you go down. Report to transporter room 3," she added and the three Officers grabbed the med-kits and hurried out of the crowded sickbay.

"Three to beam down," Riddle informed Transporter Chief O'Brien. He nodded and within seconds, the two nurses and the tactical officer were down on the planet. They hurried off in different directions immediately.

The planet looked worse than it had been described. The earthquake had destabilised most of the architectural infrastructure and hundreds of people were lying under half-collapsed buildings or running around covered in dust.

The Lieutenant Commander ran towards a big governmental building and started to crawl over piles of rubble and dust. She noticed a nearly silent scream next to her and to her astonishment she recognised a young boy. She pushed away a stone block off him and pulled out her Tricorder.

"You'll be alright. Don't worry," she said and loaded a Hypospray with some tranquiliser. The Cardassian boy breathed slowlier and she started bandaging his wounds. After a while, her hands were completely covered in brown blood but she was sure that he would survive. He did not say anything and was probably still under shock.

"Do you know where your parents are?" she asked but he shook his head. "Can you stand up?" she wanted to know and helped him to get to his feet. In this moment, an elderly Cardassian came and hugged the little boy.

"You're his father?" she asked.

He nodded, "thank you."

"That's why we're here," she muttered, knowing that the Federation wasn't welcome in this Sector under no circumstances. She continued walking and stumbling through the dust on the search for more injured people. She was close to turning around and heading in a different direction, when she heard a familiar voice. Absolutely sure it couldn't be what she thought it would be, she turned around. Her mouth dropped open and formed a big smile when she looked at a face she had never seen before. But her glance remained on the sonic screwdriver that this person held in his hand.

"Hello, Miss Riddle," The Doctor said and walked towards her. "Haven't seen you in quite a while."

"Well, two months. Isn't really an eternity."

"Two months? It was nearly four years to me," he said and regarded her with an intense look.

"Why are you here?" Theresa wanted to know.

"I chased some Zygons. They were responsible for the earthquake. I nearly had them but I have a trail now."

"Why don't you follow it?"

"I first wanted to help here," he said. He looked at her and sighed deeply. "Last time we met you said you didn't want to travel with me. Not yet."

"I didn't mean now. I didn't know we'd see again like this."

"Then what did you mean?"

"Spoilers," Theresa said and smiled but quickly remembered that he wouldn't understand the meaning of this word yet.

"Come on, just a quick Zygon-hunt. You'll be back in a second," he proposed.

She sighed but then nodded.

"By the way, the thing...you wanted to do. Did you do it?" The Doctor asked when he brought her to the TARDIS.

"No, not yet. At least I don't know yet about. It's complicated. And as I said, only two months. it needs preparation."

"And you're sure you don't want to tell me about it?"

"You'll see. In two hundred years," Theresa said and smiled when she entered the TARDIS. Mentally, she quickly linked to the Theresa of 2014, the one with whom she most stayed in contact. She telepathically told her that she was about to travel with the Doctor but did not intend to spoil anything about her/ their identity.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"Oh, England. 15th or 16th century. Probably we're going to meet Elizabeth The First."

Theresa nodded and closed the TARDIS doors behind her. In her mind, the only phrase that the 2014-San-Francisco-Theresa responded was, 'Spoilers'.

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	3. Chapter 1 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 6

**Could you please write me some reviews? I'd welcome that very much.**

_Chapter 1 – Chapter 3 from Theresa's point of view – Chapter 6 from the Doctor's point of view_

It was a sunny day and Theresa and her girlfriend were jogging through a park outside of San Francisco. It had become winter and the grass was covered with white dew. A few weeks had passed since Theresa had returned from her last journey with the Doctor. She was a genetically enhanced Timelord with an expectation to live for more than thousands of years. Katie, the woman she loved, was human. Although they both appeared to be in their mid-twenties, Katie knew that one day, Theresa would leave her. How could she ever be happy with a human who would age and die so very soon? Theresa had assured her that she would not leave only because she discovered her true origin. But Katie also noticed how much pain it was for Theresa to know that she would outlive everyone she knew and loved.

When they came home, they had a quick shower and ate breakfast while silently reading the newspaper.

"It made it to the third page," Katie suddenly noticed and Theresa looked up.

"Most of it didn't even take place in London," she noted but already saw the picture of a blue box carried by a helicopter over the very heart of London.

"How was it to be back on Gallifrey?" Katie suddenly asked. Of course Theresa had told her everything she experienced with the Doctors but she had tried to keep it as short as possible to not make Katie feel concerned when she was away with him.

"I saw what I had seen before."

"But this time you weren't a genetically enhanced killer machine destined to kill billions of Daleks," Katie said and pushed away the newspaper.

"I saw myself," Theresa remembered and looked into the dark eyes of her girlfriend. "I remembered how I destroyed a fleet of Daleks approaching the burning school of the second biggest city. And I saw myself in the exact moment that I killed them. Not only the Daleks, but Gallifreyans – women, men and their children. Do you really want to know how that felt?"

"Listen, you may have killed Timelords, but every soldier in any war has to face the issue of murder. And you killed people in your life as the 'human Theresa'. You didn't want to and it didn't change you. You're still you. You were forced to fight in the war, you were born for that reason. It's not your fault."

"It's not only the fact how many children I killed...it's that I felt nothing about it. Later, towards the end of the war...I felt joy. I felt joy hurting and murdering people. I cannot live with that," Theresa tried to explain but became quieter and quieter.

Katie nodded and hesitated a moment before she stood up and walked over to her girlfriend to give her a deep hug. Together, they sat down on the couch.

"What makes me different from any Dalek? I had no emotion whatever I did. And now I live through this over and over again and see what I did to them."

"But not all of them are dead. Gallifrey is still there."

"But the people I killed stay dead. Even when the Doctors saved the planet, I was there on the day I was summoned back to the headquarters. The day before my trial. And this still happened. I was found guilty of the crimes I committed and so I am responsible for what I did."

"You had no choice," Katie said and pushed Theresa closer to her. "You did what you did for Gallifrey. And now you even saved Gallifrey. Isn't that worth anything?"

"If you killed millions of people but saved a hundred, how can you feel better?"

"It's not like that. You're not a bad person, Theresa. Neither have you been in any of your lives, whatever you did, you did for a good reason."

Theresa wanted to reply, when they both heard a far too familiar sound.

"Speaking of the devil," Katie commented and stood up to have a look out of the window. "It's him. What had he said last time when he'd return?"

"He said he would take me with him when he is going to look for Gallifrey."

Katie nodded and returned to the couch. "Go down and see what he has to say," she said and wiped away a tear that was silently running down Theresa's cheek.

"Come with me," the Timelord whispered and slowly stood up. Katie nodded and they both put on their shoes and grabbed their jackets.

A minute later they stepped out of the multi-storey building into the icy cold of the approaching winter. Theresa knocked at the TARDIS and found the door open.

"Hello there, some time not seen," The Doctor said and was already on his way down the stairs. "I want you to meet my new companion-" he started saying while Theresa already greeted her, "hello, Clara." Both stopped breathing deeply.

"Did I...miss something?" Clara asked, coming closer.

"Apparently me too," Katie whispered and shook hands with Clara, "I'm Katie."

"Clara."

"I've heard much about you."

"Really?" Clara asked surprised. Then both human women looked at Theresa and the Doctor still staring at each other.

"You know Clara already?" the Doctor wanted to know.

"Yes, of course I do."

"But I don't know you yet," Clara finally said.

"Doctor...I think you came a bit too late," Katie mentioned, raising an eyebrow.

"What? Can someone please explain how she knows me but I don't know her?" Clara asked confused.

"As the Doctor is a time traveller, he doesn't always meet people in the right order. You'll come back...well, rather we'll meet again. Actually...that would explain some things," Theresa answered.

"Like what?"

"Like why you knew my name already, Clara," the Timelord smiled.

"Great, so, are we going to have fun?" the Doctor asked and already jumped up the stairs to his console. "Ready for a little adventure? Like in the old times?"

Theresa hesitated. There would never be 'the old times' again. Not after what she has lived through, not after she had had to repeatedly watch the Time War, not since she had been back there. Not after the Doctors had decided to kill all these people together and this 11th incarnation had really been ready to do it all over again.

"What's up?" Clara asked when she regarded Theresa's horrified face. Katie tried to look to the ground and not meet the Doctor's glance. She hated being able to spoil things – especially terrible events.

"I'm sorry," Theresa said and walked backwards to the door of the TARDIS.

"What has happened?" the Doctor asked, now curious.

"Nothing."

"Something happened to you which I will find out in the future, right? What happens in the future?"

"Spoilers."

"You are crying!" he said loudly, half angry, half emotional.

"Spoilers," Theresa whispered and without looking him into the eyes, she turned around and left the TARDIS. The doors thunk shut after her.

"What is going to happen?" the Doctor asked starring at the doors. He turned around and faced Katie. "What is going to happen, to me or to Clara? Why was she afraid of me?" he shouted and packed her arms.

"I'm sorry. But she can never look at you like she could do before."

"Why? I would never do anything-"

"Not because of what you did, Doctor," Katie said sharply. She looked into the eyes of this old man and so nothing but kindness and regret. "But because of what you were willing to do," she explained and avoided his look.

"What? What am I going to do?"

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I have to go...Spoilers," Katie said sadly and walked to the door where she turned around once more, "you told Theresa not to mess with time. Fixed points cannot be changed. But your death gave her hope. She is close to doing something very stupid so try not to blow up this universe before she does... Clara, you'll stop him from doing something very... crucial. I count on that you'll do it...again...well, once," she said and slightly nodded at the Doctor's companion who gave back a startled look.

"What did they mean?" she asked when Katie had left the space-time-machine.

"Whatever is going to happen, is already past for them," the Doctor answered, but being lost in his thoughts.

"But it must be something terrifying..." Clara mentioned.

"However, no time to waste any thoughts on that yet. We can do that later, when it's actually happening," the Doctor said and ran back to his consoles. "So, where shall we go now?" he asked with a smile. But Clara could look behind this smile and saw that he was as scared about the future as she was. What could possibly happen that someone who travelled with the Doctor, could become so scared of him? Were there any characteristics she hadn't seen in his previous lives. Some of his other incarnations she had only met very few times, she didn't actually learn so much about him. She tried not to think about it and followed him to the main console.

**Please write me a little review.**


	4. Chapter 2 - Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

**Chapter 2 – Chapter 1 from Theresa's point of view – Chapter 7 from the Doctor's point of view**

"I should go back to school. You know, I can't always take too long times off."

"You aren't missing anything," The Doctor complained but set the TARDIS for a few weeks earlier that year, near to the Coal Hill School in the area of London. "You know, I have been to this area of England before..."

"You went to the same place twice?" Clara teased him.

"Well, I visited England more than two times. Without me constantly coming back, there was no England I could return to. You tiny little humans – why can't England watch themselves?"

"Don't forget the Scotsmen and Welsh," Clara commented and turned a switch on the TARDIS. "Can't you lose the breaks?"

"I like that sound," The Doctor complained and walked around the consoles, probably switching on random buttons.

"Over one thousand years and you still don't know how to fly that thing," Clara shook her head.

"Hundreds of years and neither do you. Off you go, London's right outside. It's bloody cold November, as you British like it. Cold and rainy. Except for the fact that it isn't raining right now. And it won't today anymore."

"You are so weird," Clara shouted while leaving the TARDIS already. The Doctor sighed and walked around the main console for another two times. He typed in a few commands and localised Theresa with the help of the TARDIS' scanner. "_That_ is weird," he muttered when Theresa was displayed to be in London.

He thought about visiting her but it was a prior version than Clara and he recently met. Did this now mean he definitely had to go and visit her or that he shouldn't go and meet her there under no circumstances? "Time," he muttered and decided to take out his newest book about advanced quantum mechanics. Perhaps he could still learn something, although improbable.

He sat down and searched his pockets for his glasses – her glasses. "Oh Amy," he said while he put them on and shortly thought about what Katie had said – was about to say, "_you told Theresa not to mess with time. Fixed points cannot be changed. But your death gave her hope. She is close to doing something very stupid_".

What was she up to now? Theresa was spontaneous, flexible and although being very old and having lived through much, she tended to – no, she wasn't the woman of quick decision, he thought and flipped open the book. Was Theresa going to try to bring someone back to life? And even if so, who? Who did she know who died? Who did she know who he knew who died? Theresa had met his last companions, Amy and Rory, but this was a fixed point in time. She had visited Rose and Martha, but Martha didn't die and Rose was also unreachable for a TARDIS-like Timelord with incredible abilities.

* * *

"I know we shouldn't have gotten you out of your current mission, Miss Riddle, but we have made some observations about your current status in San Francisco," the director of the Special Division for International Affairs said.

Theresa raised an eyebrow. She had been summoned back to London a few weeks after she had left from her adventures with the Doctor. Did they know about it? They couldn't, at least he couldn't. No one was supposed to know about aliens – but well, after the events of some Christmas days or other happenings in England and America, nobody believed anymore that they were alone – not even on planet Earth.

"I have gotten a request to shift you into another department. Your remit in California will not change and you and Ms Pesnya proceed your long-term mission as planned. But another department has asked for you to join them and be their contact for the West Coast. Since the relationships with America aren't going so well, we do not know how long we can rely on Torchwood West Coast."

"Do you know what Torchwood is?" Theresa asked surprised. She had heard of Torchwood and she had watched some of their operations – due to time travel and while promising the Doctor to stay out of trouble.

"I have been assured that they are just another department for operations in this very difficult system of sub-secret services. However, you will not be able to meet up with them before you return to San Francisco. In ten minutes, a car will bring you to the UNIT base in the mid of London."

"I'm sorry – what does UNIT have to do with that?"

"You know what UNIT is?"

"Of course."

"Then you're quite better informed than I am. I have no idea what you have done to the authorities, Miss Riddle, but I think some people are very fond of you. UNIT wants to consult you for one of the problems they currently face. I overhead something about a painting. I wonder how our country works at all when the military is considering undercover agents' opinions about artwork," he complained but then nodded and dismissed Theresa.

Still surprised with what she had just learnt, she left the office and walked down the corridor where she already met a UNIT-officer who was supposed to bring her to the Tower.

* * *

"So...why am I here?" Theresa finally asked when she met the person in charge, Kate Stewart.

"You haven't heard?" she paid back.

"Something about a painting."

She nodded. "We'll wait for the Doctor and his current companion. Then I'll show you what I mean."

"The Doctor and his companion?" Theresa asked surprised. Since she left, she wouldn't have expected the Doctor to find another girl to show the universe so fast. But on the other way, she didn't know how much time has passed for him since she had left him to return to Katie.

"Ah, there he comes," Stewart said and look up into the sky.

Theresa had to smile. She couldn't believe it. River had been right about never leaving the Doctor alone. While the TARDIS was being carried by a helicopter to the square, the Doctor hang at his time machine, probably having fallen out while previously talking by the TARDIS' phone. He jumped off and the door opened and a girl who Theresa didn't know walked out.

"Hello Ms Stewart and hello, Theresa," the Doctor said and shook hand with the UNIT officer but then turned to Theresa. "Haven't seen you in quite a while."

"Doctor, you shouldn't lie," the girl complained and smiled at her. "Hello Theresa."

"How do you know my name and who are you?" Theresa asked completely surprised by this greeting.

"You were right, Doctor, this _is_ weird," the girl said to the Doctor, but then answered, "my name is Clara. I'm travelling with the Doctor."

"Ah...what is weird? What have you done now, Doctor?"

"Me? Nothing. But you – spoilers," Doctor said and smiled at her.

"As we have now finished the formalities, can I show you something of interest?" Stewart intervened before Theresa could become more confused.

"You aren't planning anything weird, are you?" the Doctor whispered into Theresa's ears when they followed Stewart.

"No, why should I?" she answered confused.

"Good," he simply said and did not approach this topic anymore.

**Please write me a review when you have read up to here.**


	5. Chapter 3 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 2

**Chapter 3 – Chapter 2 from Theresa's point of view – Chapter 2 from the Doctor's point of view**

"I await reports until this afternoon," the senior officer said and left the transporter room first.

"My God, why does he always have to be that grumpy," the Ensign muttered when the away team walked off the transporter platform of the USS Enterprise D.

"He reminds me on someone," Lieutenant Commander Riddle mentioned.

"Well, I hope you have something to write into your reports," transporter chief O'Brien said when the three officers of the away team left the room.

"I'll better start writing already," the Lieutenant Commander mentioned while the other two rather wanted to go to Ten Forward, the ship's bar first. She had just reached her quarters, when the intercom at the wall beside her couch began to beep.

"Lieutenant Commander Riddle here," she tapped on the button and spoke.

"Lieutenant Commander Riddle, please come to the bridge," she recognized the voice of the young Ensign who currently had shift at the helm.

"On my way," she said and left her quarters. So much for the reports until afternoon, she thought while she entered the turbolift to Deck 1. When she got on the bridge, she walked over to the middle to see Captain Picard.

"Ah, yes, Ms Riddle. We should have a little talk," he said with his typical smile and followed by the First Officer Commander William Riker, they entered Picard's ready room.

"Sit down," the Captain offered her a chair. Not knowing what was about to come, she sat down with slight hesitation.

"About a month ago, we learned about a new race – although they are already extinct by now," Picard started. "You told us, and the Federation archives, about the Time War and your data has been confirmed by Torchwood, a formerly British institute who has kept information of any alien encounter since the 19th century."

"I'm familiar with that story...and its outcome," she muttered silently. Due to her origin and her genetic engineering, it had been a very discussed topic if she could stay in Starfleet or had to relive through special treatment before going back to duty. However, as she hadn't known of anything she did before she was 'officially born' and the fact that she did not recognise the past as the past of the person she was now, she could continue her duty on the spaceship Enterprise.

"While you were down on this alien planet on the away mission, we also had an encounter with an alien. His spaceship had been into a battle – well, he said it was an accident while he wanted to run from some Silurians who were cross with him," Commander Riker mentioned.

"Have you heard of the Silurians before?" Picard asked.

"Well, yes. You know how I am splintered through space and time and live several times in different fractions of the universe's history? One of those 'me's' has had an encounter with the Silurians. Most of them are quite reasonable, but you shouldn't meet with its warrior division," she explained, recalling memory about the Homo reptilia race still buried and sleeping calmly in Earth's surface.

Picard nodded. "Back in sickbay, shortly after your regeneration, you mentioned a Timelord called The Doctor. You referred to him as the only survivor of the Time War – beside you and your identical twin sister."

"Yes, that is right. As far as I am informed, The Doctor is the last of his kind. And I am not really a pure Timelord," she admitted. "May I ask why you are asking?"

"The damaged spaceship which is currently in Engineering is the 'TARDIS', piloted of an individual calling himself 'The Doctor'," Riker said.

"He is here?" Theresa said, already happy to finally meet him again. Although actually, he hadn't met _this_ Theresa before.

"We thought, as you're familiar with Gallifreyan technology, you might be able to help him."

"Yes, I'd like to do that. But," she suddenly considered, "he is a time traveller. And I exist multiple times in the Universe. I don't know how old he is and if he has even met me already. If he is a younger incarnation than the one who encountered me, I cannot tell him who I am."

"Because you can't tell him about his personal future. I understand this," Picard said and nodded, thinking about the incredible consequences that changing any timeline could have. He himself was far too familiar with that topic. "Considering he has already experienced the Time War and believes himself as the only survivor, you cannot help him without explaining why you are so familiar with his space ship, can you?"

"I could surely take a look at the damage and see what I can do," she proposed.

Picard agreed and sent her down to Engineering which was in the lower Decks of the space ship. The Enterprise was not especially constructed for combat, but it could separate into two parts if one of the parts were heavily damaged or the Warp core, the impulse, was about to explode.

When she entered the big hall, she could not believe what she was seeing. The beloved TARDIS was standing right in front of the Warp Core and uncountable cables were lying across the room, connecting the TARDIS consoles with those of the Enterprise. Geordi seemed to have found a way to make them compatible, she thought with full faith in the Chief Engineer.

Data, second officer and fully functional android who constantly pursued his goal of becoming more human, looked up from the main consoles in the room. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"I just wanted to see if I could help...and I wanted to know if this Doctor already knows me."

"Ah, time travel, I see. You do not meet up in the right order," Data said.

"Right," Theresa answered and walked over to the TARDIS. A yellow shirt (Engineering staff with yellow uniform) just came out of the TARDIS, his head busy with the PADD (digital notebook) he was reading – and probably also busy with 'bigger on the inside' in his head.

She gently pushed open the door and entered the huge interior of the space-time machine. But something bothered her when she walked towards the main console and spotted some people of the Engineering personal working on the sparkling, blinking consoles. It wasn't the interior she had gotten to know when travelling with the Doctor.

But as the many puzzle pieces of her had formed another 'Theresa', the true Soldier, who had met the Doctor in different times when the universe's time had been close to collapsing, she knew all the Doctor's faces, all his companions and all his different TARDIS-'decorations'. And she had to admit, this was one of those she liked most. But it did not fit. This one was used by the incarnation who had succeeded the War Doctor.

Theresa sighed. He would probably not recognise her.

And there he was, the Ninth incarnation of The Doctor – if you did not count the cruel Doctor of the Time War who she feared so much after she heard him – his 11th incarnation (or 12th...or 13th...depending on how you count) – talk about him. This Doctor, who she hardly remembered from the Time War and the 'puzzle-piece-meetings', seemed to try to forget his past. He was smilingly explaining Chief Engineer Geordi LaForge the difference between the flux compensator and the twenty-six dimensional plane stabiliser. She smiled herself and slowly walked towards the console and regarded the interior which she would probably never see again – at least that was what she was thinking at this point of her time.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" she heard a voice beside her. She turned around and directly looked into the face of a young, blonde girl. Rose Tyler, she immediately knew. The companion who he fell in love with, she also thought. Such a shame, her disappearance, her return and her death.

"I was just about to see Commander LaForge. And I wanted to see if I could help," the Lieutenant Commander said and held up the PADD with some research data from Torchwood.

She nodded. "I'm Rose, by the way," she said and they shook hands.

"You're travelling with The Doctor?"

"Yes, yes I am. It's him over there."

"Ah, well. I'd better give Geordi some information," Theresa tried to avoid the possibility of any temporal paradoxes.

"You know what is weird?" Rose said and Theresa turned back. "Usually, the people ask all kind of questions when meeting the Doctor. But you seem to take it just as facts," she added with a slight hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Like 'it's bigger on the inside' or 'Doctor Who?" Theresa answered with a smile. "I know. And you know what? Even if you'll never know the answers, he'll always be...fantastic," she winked.

"How do you know?" she whispered.

"He's a time traveller, don't forget that."

"Then...you're someone from his future?" she asked but Theresa only put her pointing finger on her mouth. Rose nodded, "I understand. Will the universe explode or something if he finds out?"

"Isn't that what the universe always does?" Theresa answered and walked towards Commander LaForge.

"I got the research which Data found out from the Torchwood files," she explained and handed him the PADD.

"Thanks," Geordi said. "But I'm not quite sure if it'll be of any help."

"So...you're the Doctor?" Theresa turned to the other man standing there.

"Yes, I am. You heard of me?"

"Yeah...kind of...it's bigger on the inside here."

"Yes, it is."

Theresa nodded and looked at the round console in the middle. "What's this?" she asked pointing at a button whose function she already knew.

"It's the plane locator. It's one of the things that burnt out during the attack."

"What does it need to properly function?"

"Oh, I don't think-"

"Although I'm wearing the uniform colour of the tactical department doesn't mean I don't know how to unplug a system," she said and he smiled at her the usual smile he always had.

Her hearts raced. Yes, that was her Doctor. Although too young for her to meet her, she already knew that this was going to be he man she would fall in love with.

"A Beryllium hydrated core which is constantly acting and reacting with destabilised Trilithium on the base of a fluctuating matter-anti-semi-matter reaction," he answered her question while still smiling sweetly.

"So when the TARDIS was hit, the Beryllium core was probably not harmed but perhaps the semi-matter was splitting itself into matter and anti-matter – which would explain the constant flashing red light on this side of the console. Right under the blue break lever," she proposed.

Suddenly, both The Doctor and Geordi became silent.

"Even if – how could we create semi-matter? I've never heard of it anyway," Geordi said slowly, obviously not understanding a word of what she had talked.

"Well...," Theresa started, trying not to sound overly excited, "we could start by reversing the polarity of the neutron flow."

"That is...fantastic!" the Doctor suddenly exclaimed. "And it could actually work." He immediately started pushing all kinds of buttons while Geordi was still staring at Theresa.

"So you _did_ meet this guy? Couldn't you have told him?"

"It's too early in his time stream. He doesn't know me yet," Theresa mentioned, fully aware that by now, every single officer on the USS Enterprise was probably familiar with the basics of temporal mechanics – or at least knowing how wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey it was.

"I've reversed the polarity. It's worth a try," the Doctor finally said.

"Alright, I'm going to measure the temporal distortion from the outside," Geordi said and leaving the TARDIS with some of his personal.

"How did you know?" The Doctor asked as soon as Geordi had left.

"That's really a long story."

"I have time."

"But I don't. You will fly away again, Doctor, and you will have all kind of adventures...with Rose."

"What do you know about what I'm going to do?"

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I am so sorry, but I cannot say," she said and realised that he seemed as sad as she felt right now.

"Are you from my future?"

"Doctor...can I ask your a favour?" she wanted to know.

He hesitated, but then nodded slowly. He probably knew that he was going to properly meet her and whatever happened – there must be a reason why she wouldn't be with him anymore.

"How can you find out which points in time are fixed and which aren't?" she burst out with her question.

The Doctor's mouth slowly dropped open. He lay his head a bit on the side, wanted to say something but closed his mouth again.

"You are from my future, aren't you?"

She nodded slowly.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I cannot...there is something going to happen. Something to a person I like."

"Did this person die?" the Doctor asked suspiciously.

"Yes. Yes, she is."

"And you want to prevent it?"

"Right."

"That's a very serious intervention."

"Why is it more than stopping someone from stepping onto the most important butterfly on the universe?" she asked with a smile.

He nodded. She knew that she would understand. If someone understood how uncertain and difficult time was, it was The Doctor. And therefore he understood right now that she needed an answer.

"There're thousands of alternate realities. For every decision we take, a new bubble universe pops up. But fixed points in time are when no new universe is built."

Theresa nodded slightly. With her power, the power of the heart of a TARDIS, she could see through most of time and space and the universe itself if she only wanted to. And if it wouldn't drain so much of her energy at once.

"But the problem is that you cannot find out if there are alternate universes about this point in time. There once was a way – my people reigned about time and could travel from one universe to another. Since the war..."

"I know. I know. But...thank you, Doctor. And believe me if I say, better days are to come," she said and without hesitation, she hugged him deeply. He did not retreat but when she wanted to turn around, he grabbed her arm. "Don't you want to come with me? I don't think Rose would have anything against a bit company."

"I would like to travel with you, Doctor. But not now, not yet."

"You are going to travel with me? And for you it has happened?"

"Not necessarily. It is complicated," she sighed. How was she possibly going to explain it to him without spoiling anything? "The next time we meet, Doctor, I promise you, I will come with you. When you are older, and when I am older and I will see the wonders of the universe with you. But until then, I have to say I am sorry. I am sorry for what you will have to go through."

And with those words, she left the TARDIS and did not look back. She knew what she had to do now. And she also knew that she was determined to do so. Whatever happened...


	6. Chapter 4 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5

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* * *

**Chapter 4 – Chapter 4 from Theresa's point of view – Chapter 5 from The Doctor's point of view**

"Are you sure you want to try?" Katie asked when she arrived back in the flat after her girlfriend.

"Another 'me', the one I told you about who lives in the 24th century-"

"The one you have most contact to."

"Yes, exactly. She met a younger version of the Doctor and he told her how to recognise fixed points in time."

"And...?" Katie asked when Theresa hesitated and finally sat down on the couch. Katie sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "Tell me, I want to hear. You know every little detail about my short life so far, why can't I know everything about you? I love you, whatever happens."

Theresa sighed, "each time we decide about anything, if we drink orange juice or tea for breakfast, a new bubble universe is created. This has hardly anything to do with those pocket universes where the Doctor met The House or where Gallifrey is probably hidden. However, when there is a fixed point, this 'thing' will always happen. Therefore there is no bubble universe about it which there are different outcomes for this decision. The Doctor told me that the Timelords could earlier guard time and jump from one parallel universe to another."

"Like the one in which Rose is trapped."

"Yes. Now that the bridges to the other universes are sealed, it is harder to recognise such a point of time."

"But as you have all the energy of a TARDIS..."

"I cannot see what kind of other universe there is. I cannot see what happened with River Song in exactly that moment in the library in the other universes. But there is no limitation to not create such a universe. There is no reason why I shouldn't be able to alter or prevent her death."

"So you will do it?"

"I'm not sure. What would it mean for the Doctor? He's been thinking about her death for over two hundred years now."

"Theresa, do it. The death of River is the worst, preventable thing in the universe."

"For the Doctor."

"As I said, the universe," Katie said with a smile. "How long will it take you?"

"I could come back yesterday," Theresa teased her while she stood up.

"What makes you think you haven't?" Katie asked and quickly kissed her before Theresa left the apartment once more for a travel through time and space.

* * *

Theresa had easily obtained a cheap vortex manipulator. She had travelled long enough with the Doctor to notice those parts of the universe where he would never go. As she was partly the heart of a TARDIS, she could also transport on her own, but that made her very weak and last time she did it, she passed out for over a day. It was safer to use a vortex manipulator and at least she got where she wanted.

She touched the cold stones on the left to her. Still a bit dizzy from the transportation, she touched her head. A headache, but she would soon get used to it. She looked ahead and jumped back immediately. Amy would have nearly seen her.

"Can I trust you, Doctor Song?" Theresa heard the Doctor saying. They had just come out alive from the Byzantium and River awaited to be beamed aboard her prisoner ship again. Oh, poor River, Theresa thought. She really liked the Doctor's wife and there was so much pain she had to live through – and will live through.

"If you like," River answered with an all-knowing smile. "But where's the fun in that," she laughed. And the Doctor has no idea, Theresa thought while she continued listening. A second later, River was beamed aboard her ship. "Not for long," Theresa muttered and set new coordinates for her vortex manipulator.

"What are you thinking?" Amy asked.

Theresa hesitated pressing the button to activate the space-time travel. She looked up shortly.

"Time can be rewritten," the Doctor answered and looked at the setting sun. Amy walked up next to him and stared at the greyish horizon. For only a nanosecond, the Doctor turned his head and stared directly at Theresa. She didn't hesitate now but disappeared from the planet immediately. The Doctor had seen her before, has he ever wondered what she wanted there? Did he even remember? How much did he know?

Theresa stumbled when she re-materialised in an abandoned street in the middle of Leadworth about one o'clock in the morning. "I hate that thing," she muttered and touched her hair. It was all curly and hang down into her face. No surprise River always looks like that, she thought and walked down the empty street. Suddenly, she saw her. Theresa stayed back, wanting to know how far River had proceeded in her own time stream.

River walked out of the house of her parents and gave them both a deep hug. Oh River, so close to dying, Theresa thought and a silent tear dropped on the cold stones she was standing on. River looked at her watch and then typed in the commands for her own vortex manipulator. "I'm coming to get you," Theresa thought and typed in the same space-coordinates as River, just another time.

* * *

River was lying on her bed, writing in her diary about the wonderful night she had spent with the Doctor, when suddenly a light buzz irritated her and she looked up. "Theresa?" she said surprised, having met her quite a few times, as well as in an aborted time line in which she had brought back Gallifrey to life.

"Hello, River," Theresa said.

River stood up, suspicious that Theresa, who always seemed to be happy if the world didn't seem to end, had a very serious look on her face. "Has something happened?"

"What was the last event you shared with the Doctor?" Theresa asked to be really sure.

"I don't..."

"You have just finished writing it into your diary. Don't worry, you cannot spoil me. Your future has always been the Doctor's and my past."

"What was the last thing you shared with me?" River asked hesitatingly and grabbed the prison bars.

"The to-...the angels in Manhatten," Theresa said.

River nodded. "The Doctor visited me yesterday evening, he had bought me a new dress. I also met a younger version of him, but he had seemed quite...distracted."

Theresa closed her eyes and nodded.

"He took me to the singing Towers of Daryllium. It was wonderful, he cried...Theresa?"

She looked up at her again and slowly walked closer.

"Why did the Doctor cry?"

"Spoilers."

"I will...the next thing that will happen to me...the next thing he'll do is..."

"Watching you die. And I am here to prevent it."

"But it did happen to him."

"Time can be rewritten."

"Not that time. Don't you dare."

"Take my hand, River. I'll explain on the way," Theresa said and gave her hand through the bars. River hesitated, staring at it like an alien creature but then grabbed her wrist.

"Where will you take me?"

"Spoilers," Theresa said with a smile and activated the vortex manipulator.

* * *

"Where are we?" River asked when they reappeared somewhere else.

"Somewhere the Doctor won't find us," Theresa mentioned and walked further away from the place where they have landed. "Your future is the Doctor's and my past. I know what happens and I don't want this to happen."

"The Doctor doesn't know. You're about to change a point in time and you don't even know if it is fixed."

"You changed a fixed point in space and time...and this one isn't fixed. And I have a plan how everything will happen as the Doctor experienced it."

"Then surprise me," River challenged and looked at Theresa with expectation. And she did not disappoint her.

**Just reminding you: Please write me a quick comment if you want me to continue posting how the story proceeds.**


	7. Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 1

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Chapter 5 – Chapter 6 from Theresa's point of view – _Chapter 1_ from The Doctor's point of view

"Oh no, not again," The Doctor sighed when the music he was listening to repeated the same phrase over and over again. "I just thought I'd fixed this," he muttered and placed the book under the cup of tea on the table next to him and stood up again. He checked the player first but found nothing wrong with it and therefore continued checking the TARDIS controls which he had only repaired a minute ago.

The TARDIS was still in flight and it changed the space-coordinates rapidly. But looking at the time-coordinates, they seemed to switch between repeating itself and jumping forwards as they should do. "Oh, damn thing," he muttered and first gently tapped against the cylindrical glass tube before hitting it a bit harder. "Don't do this to me," he added and pulled the monitor closer to him to run a detailed sensor scan of his environment.

The data blinked and he finally decided to stop the movement of the TARDIS so that it knew which space-time coordinates to scan exactly. "Time bubbles with time progressing in different speeds seem to have created. The TARDIS must have attracted them because she is a space-time phenomenon itself. The bubbles only affect time and not space and because these bubbles are in here already, the console didn't know which time to give out," he explained, then looked up and noticed that no one was with him.

"Oh," he said and turned back to the console. "Then let's see where you have your origin." He reversed the polarity of the sensor data to trace back the first bubble the TARDIS had come in contact with. "Earth, 2000," he read out loud, "who would have thought that," he added ironically, suddenly noticing that he was still talking to himself.

The TARDIS landed, more or less softly, and the Doctor walked out to have a closer look. He couldn't determine the exact coordinates of the first appearance of the space-time distortion and therefore had to examine the environment better. "And San Francisco again," he said while closing the door behind him. He had landed in a district that looked quite similar to the one his previous incarnation had ended up only a little while ago. At least not the park again, he thought relieved. If someone decided not to travel with him, it would hurt too much to see them again.

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and 'scanned' the environment. Although the latest technology for his standards, it could only vaguely discover space-time distortions. But space-time bubbles should be enough, he hoped, the time-differences of the bubbles become less with the time and disperse in time like waves when you drop a stone in water.

It is quite similar, a heavy temporal event falls into the space-time continuum and folds it like waves. Interference was also possible, this time with the TARDIS which attracted those bubbles because it was a distortion in time itself. The Doctor shortly stopped when he noticed that he was thinking all this to himself. "I must be getting old," he smiled although his physical appearance had lost a bit of age since the last regeneration.

His sonic screwdriver started to blink and he turned it off. He had walked quite a few meters and hoped he'd find back to his ship again. He turned around the corner and nearly bumped into a young woman.

"Sorry," he stuttered and wanted to go on when he noticed how nervous she looked. "Everything alright?"  
"Yes, I'm just...there was this...I'm sorry, where exactly am I?" she muttered and looked up at him.

The Doctor smiled, usually he was the one asking this question. "San Francisco, but where exactly, I'm afraid I can't tell you. Not much of a help am I?"

"Well, it excludes several other cities...and planets."

"You said something about...'this'", The Doctor asked, interested in the young woman who seemed a bit desperate and not fitting quite in. She wore only a thin shirt and funny white trousers that rather seemed to be part of a uniform. She was not older than twenty-five, not tall, a bit muscular and she had long, black hair and black eyes.

"Yes, it's...someone attacked me," she muttered and felt a bit ashamed of her appearance.

"You ran?"

"I knocked him off."

The Doctor smiled. Well, for a very lost person she seemed to know what strengths she possessed. "Show me."

"It's probably just a creepy guy in a mask, not worth a look."

"Show me," The Doctor insisted. "I like creepy things which aren't worth a look."

She shrugged her shoulders and walked back into the direction where she had come from. He followed her. "Have I seen you before?" she suddenly asked.

"No, I don't think so," he answered pretty sure with a smile. "I'm quite new...to this town."

"I don't remember this well. Must have been someone who looked similar to you...and a bit older," she answered and coughed.

Well, if I ran around in thin clothes like this, even a Timelord would catch a cold, he thought. What he didn't notice in the light beam of the street lamp was the golden coloured energy floating into the air.

The woman stopped and turned into an even darker alley of this district. Dustbins stood around and old newspapers were covering the street, mixing with rotten trash. And behind one of those waste containers, the Doctor noticed something big leaning against the stone wall of an old house. "That's what attacked you?" he asked.

She nodded. "As I said, not worth a look. So, who are you anyway? You don't look like a guy wandering around in districts like this in the middle of the winter...it is winter, isn't it?" she asked and had a look around while rubbing her hand against her head.

"You're a funny girl. Everything okay with your head?"

"I think I hit against something when...I came here," she said and pointed at the big, green creature with dark eyes. "As you now confirmed it to be a mask, can we go?"

"This is no mask. This is an alien...and you knocked it out...and it's currently regaining consciousness. And probably it's quite angry for what you did to her."

"She attacked me...you really believe in aliens? From outer space?"

"Yes, yes, I do," The Doctor said and stood up, putting his screwdriver back into his pocket. "We should get away from here, an awaking Slitheen is not what you should meet in the middle of San Francisco, 2000."

"Yeah, and who else is gonna occupy with it?" the woman asked.

"Not me, not now. Before we run, let me have a look at your head," he said and stepped closer to her.

"Nothing serious. It takes more than a bump against a wall to break this head," she laughed while he examined her front head.

"No scratch," he noticed.

"Would have surprised me. I ran against this wall with my previous b- doesn't matter. Shall we now run?"

"If you feel up to it," The Doctor said, still not sure what he should think about that woman. But nevertheless, he as well had only recently had some moments of amnesia experience.

"Yeah, I think running has become one of my latest hobbies," the stranger smiled and The Doctor grabbed her hand. Together, they started running just in time as they both could hear the Slitheen behind them waking up and tipping over the dustbin with a loud noise.

"It's that way," The Doctor said reassuring.

"It's that way what?" she asked and quickly looked behind.

"I think this may sound strange but I'm an alien, too, and my space ship is that way," he said and grabbed her hand firmer so that she couldn't break lose.

"Okay...and you just parked your space ship here on Earth? Like the Klingon Bird of Prey which was spotted in San Francisco a few years ago?"

"Yeah, the Bird of Prey,... always pay attention to the whales," The Doctor sighed and pulled her around the corner.

"I have a friend who used to park his space ships in the middle of cities as well," the woman shouted while the Slitheen came closer and closer, and also louder and louder. "What are we going to do about this Slitheen in the middle of San Francisco?" she asked.

"I don't know! I might be an alien but that doesn't mean I always have a plan concerning other aliens."

"I have a friend who said the same," the woman said and suddenly stopped.

"What the hell are you doing? You got lucky one time, but look at this girl _(female Slitheen)_, she's really tall!" The Doctor shouted.

"Yeah, I know," the woman said and looked at the Slitheen who came nearer. The Doctor wanted to grab her hand and tore her away in the last second, but when the Slitheen seemed to run against her, she hit her bare fist against her green belly and she stumbled backwards, finally landing on his back.

"How did you do that?" The Doctor asked.

The woman walked towards the green alien and had a closer look. "She's just out of breath," she commented on the moaning alien on the street of San Francisco.

"You say 'she'."

"Yes, it's a woman...you said this," she answered.

The Doctor nodded. "Now, let me see your head," he added when he noticed her again rubbing her hand against it.

"I think I just fell against this wall. Must have been too fast," she said and tried to push him away.

"Let me have a look, I'm a doctor," he answered, thinking of the irony of that phrase.

She finally gave in and he had a look. "I can't see anything but you should rest for a while."

"Sure we haven't met?" she asked and looked at his long, curly hair.

"Pretty sure. I think that Slitheen was what brought me here in the first place. I located some space-time distortions. They should be gone by now. Like ebbing waves when you drop a stone into water."

"Well, I think...that wasn't the Slitheen," she muttered and followed the man when he continued walking away and seemed to pull something out of his jacket's pocket.

"What's that?" she asked suspiciously and pulled him back.

"A sonic screw-", he said but stopped when he saw her shocked face. "A sonic screwdriver," he repeated, activated it shortly and scanned the area. As he had suggested, no bubbles left.

"Oh my God, you're 'The' Doctor," she said surprised and looked at his face. Theresa had only seen this incarnation a few times when her 'puzzle-piece-self' had been jumping through the Doctor's timeline and she hardly remembered all the faces – and especially not all their meetings – anymore. But now she did remember, when she had been standing beside the rocks, secretly watching this incarnation's regeneration in the dark cave.

"You know me?" he asked surprised.

"Well, yeah. Long story...really long story. I know...your future self," she explained.

"Okay, so you know this as well," he said and walked a few steps until they were around the corner and could see the blue police box.

"The TARDIS, of course. Doctor, I can't tell you anything about your future, but could you please bring me back into my time? I have come here by accident, I had to emergency transport myself out of some trouble and had ended up here in San Francisco...but obviously in the wrong time."

"...okay," the Doctor said and they both entered his ship.

"Wow...I haven't seen this interior yet. Its control room is so much bigger," she commented when they walked to the console in the middle.

"Where do you usually live? Or rather, when?" he asked.

"2014, November...would you mind letting me flying the TARDIS? So that we actually end up where we want to?"

Surprised, the Doctor let her fly the TARDIS. He hadn't expected that he'd ever teach a companion of his how to fly it – not knowing that he wouldn't teach her.

"San Francisco...my time," Theresa finally smiled at him.

"Wow...did I teach you that?"

"Not exactly...can't tell you."

"Oh, alright, I understand. Just one more question...you did not recognize me at first. That means I'll probably change my body soon."

"You won't get shot in a gang fight again, don't worry, Doctor," Theresa said when she was leaving the TARDIS. "But let me tell you this Doctor," she turned around, "dark times are ahead and you will do what is necessary to do. Therefore your next incarnation will be the one you regret most and the one you don't count as your life as 'The Doctor'."

Before he could ask any more questions, she walked out of the TARDIS into San Francisco – where she hadn't been for quite a while.

* * *

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	8. Chapter 6 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 4

**Chapter 6 – Chapter 5 from Theresa's point of view – Chapter 4 from The Doctor's point of view**

* * *

_The library has been breached. Others are coming._

The Doctor wanted to take a closer look around when suddenly bright light sparks burst out of a wall. He turned around to take cover and when he looked up again, he saw several persons in space suits enter the main hall. The first of them shortly hesitated, but then continued walking towards them. The face screen was completely black, they didn't seem to have expected standard living condition in here, the Doctor thought when the space suit-person in front of him made her screen transparent. To his surprise, there was the face of a smiling woman staring at him.

"Hello, Sweetie," she said and looked up at him.

"Get out," The Doctor only responded without processing what was even talked to him. "All of you, turn back and fly away!" he instructed and walked past that woman into the middle of the other space suit-people.

"Put of the helmets everyone. We got breathers," the strange woman said and removed her own one without hesitation.

"How do you know they're not androids?" a man asked.

"'Cause I've dated androids; they're rubbish," she answered, still not stopping to smile.

"Who is this?" the man in charge, or at least wanting to be in charge, as it appeared to the Doctor, asked this woman. "You said we were the only expedition, I paid for exclusives."

"I lied, I'm always lying. There aren't just others," she said without regret.

The Doctor sighed, why was never ever anybody listening to him?

* * *

"Doctor, please tell me you know who I am," she asked, already fearing the worst, although already knowing that this was the case.

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked and stared into her eyes, not recognising her at all. She did not respond and suddenly, the alarm went off and the Doctor turned around.

* * *

River felt alone, as alone as she had hardly felt before. The Doctor has always been there for her and he helped her every time she was in trouble but right now, he could not be here for her. She had to stand through this alone.

"Here you go," Katie murmured when she placed two cups of hot tea on the living room table.

River nodded with a smile and Katie sat down. "He looks so young," she said about her husband and nodded towards the television.

"You won't meet him with this face," Katie mentioned.

"Probably it's good like that. If I did this, it would not have only broken my heart...it would have been my death," she answered and nipped her Earl Grey.

"You're glad that Theresa saved your life...or is saving it?"

"I don't know. But you can also see it like that: I have never been to the library in the first place and this is a predestined paradox," River answered, in love with the small Doctor-version that appeared on the screen. Theresa had sonic-ed the TV until they could receive the same data waves that the CCTV cameras – not only the floating around ones – in the library were transmitting. They now could have a perfect view on everything that was happening in the library, thousands of light years away, hundreds of centuries in their future. "What about you?"

"What do you mean?" Katie asked and watched how Theresa, in disguise as River Song, checked the diary with the Doctor. "What about that diary? Theresa could be spoiling herself?"

"No, it's a fake one, only including what she knows about," River explained.

"Are there things she doesn't yet know about?"

"Spoilers."

"It would have been a yes-and-no-question."

"You didn't answer my question either," River said, and added, "if you died, Theresa could bring you back to life. Would you want that?"

"We've talked about that," Katie admitted and stared down into her cup of tea. "Theresa will outlive me anyway but I want to spend as much time with her as possible. It's just that...a good-bye will even be harder then."

River nodded, "I know what you are talking about."

"When will you tell him about the library?"

"When his latest 'self' has experienced everything that happened before the library. That would be a version who is over 200 years older than this one here and after he accompanied me to see the Singing Towers."

* * *

"I told you to go!" the Doctor shouted and turned back to the console while Theresa – looking exactly like her friend River Song – kneed over the dead body of one of the other archaeologists.

"He can manage without me. But you can't!" she said and stood up. She knew this was the moment. The Doctor had told her about what he had lived through in the library and due to their mind meld, she held most of his memories. She knew how River had acted – and now she knew that it has never been meant to be River living this adventure with him. It was her, all the time, and not River died, but she. Without hesitation now, she walked forward and the exact moment he turned around to see what she was up to, she hit as hard as she could against his face.

"I'm sorry," she said and dragged him over the floor. He wouldn't stay unconscious for a long time, but hopefully long enough. She pulled out the handcuffs River had given her and locked him to the pipe. "I am so sorry," she muttered and walked towards the many cables hanging from the open wall. She just hoped that this time, her body would react like the heart of a TARDIS towards death and not like a Timelord. If everything went well, she did not regenerate as soon as her body functions were slowing down, but she would die – and reanimate only a little while later like Jack Harkness did, after he had suffered from the undamped energy of the heart of a TARDIS.

She was screwing together the last cables when The Doctor woke up again. She quickly looked up, but then concentrated again on her work.

_Autodestruct in two minutes._

"Oh no, no, no, no!" The Doctor shouted when he realized what she was up to. "What are you doing? That's my job!"

"But I'm not allowed to have a career, I suppose," she answered. Stay River, she only thought. What would River do? Do not get sentimental and do not hint that you're not going to die in any way.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Katie asked after a while.

"That's still me...I see myself...dying," River said and wiped away a single tear from her cheek.

Katie had heard a lot about River and would have never thought that she became that heartbroken. "It's going to be alright..."

"He'll think that I'll die like that. I have always been dead for him. He lived with that thought for over two hundred years. How could I do that to him?" she said silently and buried her face in her hands.

"You had no choice. And he'll understand this, Melody," Katie answered and put her arm around her shoulder. "If he ever loved you, he will understand."

* * *

"You would just run!" Theresa whispered. She quickly glanced up where she had spotted the camera. River would be sitting at her home, watching everything, watching her – watching herself die. How did she feel about? One death, but two persons dead. Things like that always happen when you travel with the Doctor, Theresa thought and looked at him. He wouldn't understand, not yet. But later, when he had become older and lived through so much suffering, more suffering than a single person should ever endure. But he was the Doctor, he would never give up. Never give in.

"River, you know my name. You whispered my name in my ear!"

She could not stand the look in his eye. How? How could she ever look into his eyes again after she had been responsible for an additional weight on his shoulders.

"Now, shut up!" she whispered, concentrating. The last time she would ever see him again, the only time they could meet and she couldn't even say who she was. "Spoilers!" she added, hoping that one day, a long time into his future, he would understand that everything River has ever done, was because of her feelings towards him. _Please forgive us_, Theresa closed her eyes after a last glance at the clock. The time was counting backwards and with the last number, she connected the two main cables.

Everything went bright and white, the Doctor looked away, and she felt the pain of thousands needles racing over her skin and through her body. Dying always feels different, she thought – before she thought nothing at all anymore.

* * *

"All I did was give her my screwdriver! Why would I do that?" he shouted and regarded the modern screwdriver in his hands. "Oh!" he shouted. "Look at that!" he screamed and saw the draining battery, the second last yellow light blinking dangerously.

* * *

"Come on, Doctor, come on," River whispered, staring at the plasma screen, seeing how her Doctor regarded her tool. Suddenly, he turned around and ran away. The surveillance switched to another camera and showed him running back to the entry to the core.

* * *

It was so silent when she woke up. She only heard her own breath, her desperate try to gasp for more air. "Holy shit," she muttered. She hadn't died like this often – or rather resurrected with the TARDIS-power. She looked around. The Doctor was already gone, the handcuffs lay opened on the floor. She didn't know how long she had been dead but she knew that he would come back to save River's data into the library, the data from the scan she had performed shortly before she had regenerated into River's appearance. With her nearly infinite Timelord power it still had been a challenge to regenerate into a certain physical appearance which was hardly possible for a real Timelord.

"Oh my God," she muttered when she slowly stood up. She still trembled and she had a terrible headache. Suddenly, she saw a light beam falling into the main control room. The Doctor! He was on his way to save River.

She gathered the rest of the energy which she had used for her regeneration in her body and concentrated on the ultimate rescue she could do. As she had been enhanced for war, where death was normal life, she had been given the same powers as a full-grown TARDIS – travelling through space and time. But as she was still a Timelord and also not destined to be a time-vehicle, she could hardly determine the outcome of her emergency transportation.

Her hands began to glow golden like they did when regenerating, her whole body suddenly became covered by golden-white particles floating around her and she closed her eyes. _Earth._ She felt pure energy flowing through her body, her veins, her finger tips. _21st century._ She felt the time vortex open and herself being sucked through. She had lost complete orientation and suddenly, she opened her eyes again.

It was dark, deep dark. _Where am I?_ She looked around. The spotted a street lamp a few hundred meters away. Definitely Earth, she thought when she saw old newspapers and trash lying on the street in which she had landed. She wanted to get up but nearly shrieked when she saw that her hands were still glowing. While being sucked through the vortex, her body has soaked up the rest energy from other travellers through space and time. And she needed to convert this energy now.

She screamed loudly when she jumped up and started to regenerate. She couldn't determine the outcome of this sudden regeneration, it happened all too fast. Then, the energy was suddenly gone and she stumbled forwards, falling onto her knees again.

"Oh my God," she muttered when she tried to stand up again. She leaned against the wall and looked around. But before she could get a better glimpse on her environment, she heard something moving directly – and quickly – towards her. She didn't need to completely turn around to recognise the shape of an angry and probably lonely and therefore hungry Slitheen woman running towards her prey.


	9. Chapter 7 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8

**Chapter 7 – Chapter 7 from Theresa's point of view – Chapters 7 and 8 from The Doctor's point of view**

River really tried to hide but she was absolutely sure that Theresa had seen her when she was leaving the office of her superior officer and was now summoned to UNIT headquarters in London. River sighed and left the building into which she had only broken in with her own psychic paper.

She was now in the mid of London and she did not want to teleport right in the heart of a nation which was very well aware of time travel and evil alien races. River smiled at the thought that her parents had grown up in a prehistoric time like this. How could they possibly fit in?

She was just walking along the river Thames, where The Doctor had first time met Daleks on Earth, only a few centuries from now, when she heard the sound of a helicopter. This wasn't so unusual but those flight devices were normally used by government operatives. And she had only now heard Theresa being summoned by the Unified Intelligence Taskforce.

River looked up and searched the sky for the helicopter which right now flew nearly over the London Eye. And she could not believe her own eyes when she was seeing what was hanging down from the helicopter. It was not only the TARDIS being brought by a helicopter to the Tower, but as skillful as The Doctor was, he had managed to fall out of his ship and was only held there by whatever companion he had right now. "Oh, Doctor," she thought. What would happen if we weren't there for you? She wondered and activated her vortex manipulator.

* * *

When the Doctor stepped back into his TARDIS, he walked around the main console. Absent-minded, he started talking, he started wondering what may the future bring – not only to him, but to everyone he has ever been. 'Of course I dream,' he muttered and he imagined himself walking out of the TARDIS, once more, one last time he gathered with himselves, he saw all of them, all the Doctors who brought home Gallifrey and all the Doctors who were worth being called so.

"Are you daydreaming again?" he suddenly heard a voice behind him and froze. That could not be. He had only just seen a long presumed dead's face, but this voice thrilled his very nerves. 'No,' he whispered and closed his eyes. If this was a dream, it would be the cruellest nightmare he could ever have. Very slowly, afraid of waking up too quickly, he turned around. And there she was, his wife who died when he had only met her.

"What are you?" he asked surprised and walked towards her, recognising another shadow standing behind her.

"I am real," River Song said and stepped up to the control platform.

"No, you can't be," The Doctor said, having a quick look at Theresa who only stood there and watched. "You died," he said when he looked back up to River.

"For being dead, I feel quite alive," she answered and touched his hands. "I am there, Doctor. I will always be there for you and I am so, so sorry that I could not come earlier to see you."

"Why?" he asked and when he blinked, a tear of both hope and fear ran down his cheek.

River sighed, but then decided not to go for her usual answer, "the person you met in the library – that wasn't me," she started to explain.

"But, you were there! You died, I even spoke to your saved data when Vastra and Jenny established the mental connection to Clara! You were in the library, I had the other face and I...I never knew how much I meant to you and you had to keep back everything you knew, everything you felt. You were there!" the Doctor cried, desperately hoping that this could be true, somehow.

"I died," Theresa suddenly said.

"What?" The Doctor asked and turned to her.

"The person in the library who died, that was me," she repeated.

"That's–"

"Doctor, I will explain everything. Just let me listen," River said calmly and fondled his back.

"I'll leave the both of you alone," Theresa decided. "You have a lot to talk about," she added and without another word, she left the TARDIS and the Doctor watched the doors fall back when she clicked her fingers.

"Please tell me I'm not hallucinating," he muttered and turned back to his wife.

"You aren't," she answered with a smile.

"Prove it."

Hesitating, she bent forwards and proved that she was there this time, real not only for the Doctor. And this time, she'd always be there for him, whatever he did, wherever he went, whatever would happen...

* * *

Theresa left the Tower buildings and stepped into the big courtyard. She stopped and had a look around for the person she was supposed to meet. After a while, she spotted the long army coat flattering in the wind. She smiled. If he knew what she already knew about him, he'd never asked for transferring her into the area of responsibility of Torchwood. While she was walking towards her, her thoughts about The Doctor and River's beginning search disappeared and she felt the connection to another 'herself' being established. She could use this connection from time to time to notice if other 'herselfs', all scattered through space and time of this universe, experienced the same problems – for example, when time was close to devastation. Knowing the Doctor, this happened more often than one thought.

However, it was Theresa from the 24th century, a version of her who served aboard a Starfleet vessel, belonging to the United Federation of Planets, including nearly two hundred planets from Vulcan over Kronos to Poosh and Andoria. She had just met the Doctor, although a younger incarnation. 'What a coincidence,' Theresa from San Francisco thought, 'I just left the 11th Doctor.'

'What happened?' the other Theresa wanted to know.

'Oh, I don't know if I could tell you as you're just seeing his previous face. Where are you about to go?'

'He wants to take me to England, 1562 or something. He thinks that the Queen is a disguised Zygon... Is she?'

'Sorry, can't tell,' SF-Theresa answered amused.

'Is there more to it? You're holding something back,' UFP-Theresa wanted to know while she followed her Doctor into the TARDIS.

SF-Theresa knew that she had to end this telepathic connection if she didn't want the other one searching her memories. 'I'm sorry,' she simply answered, 'but spoilers!'


End file.
